Belgian and Dutch special forces to conduct NATO operations together

Special forces from Belgium and the Netherlands will from 2025 together form a unit that can be rapidly deployed worldwide on behalf of the NATO military alliance. The cooperation initiative was ratified in Ostend.

The new unit – called Combined-Special Operations Maritime Task Group (C-SOMTG) – is a special operations force that can be rapidly deployed worldwide, both on land and at sea. It is formed by Belgian and Dutch special forces, which “will be able to carry out all types of special missions to meet NATO's needs”, according to a press release.

The aim is to “better understand each other, share our working methods and seize every opportunity for cooperation, especially in the areas of military doctrine, organisation, training, equipment, leadership, human resources and infrastructure and interoperability between maritime special forces,” declared colonel Wim Denolf, director of the Belgian army's Special Operations Command.

The collaboration initiative will concretely lead to joint exercises, harmonisation of tactics, techniques and procedures, and joint procurement of equipment.

^{Soldiers from the French and Belgian special forces © BELGA PHOTO Arnaud BEINAT/MAXPPP}